Screen baseball system including screen shutter

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides a screen baseball system including a pitching machine that shoots a baseball, a screen having a screen hole through which the baseball shot from the pitching machine passes, and a screen shutter that is provided between the pitching machine and the screen and comprises a safety screen that closes the screen hole. The present invention can fundamentally prevent a safety accident that may occur during a screen baseball game. Even when a user does not recognize or neglects a warning image, the safety accident is prevented.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a screen baseball system and, more particularly, to a screen baseball system including a screen shutter to prevent safety accidents.

BACKGROUND ART

The term “screen baseball” implies a baseball game that is progressed similar to an actual baseball game using a screen onto which an image is projected and a pitching machine located on the rear surface of the screen while a user views the projected image.

The screen baseball system according to the related art will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

A space of the screen baseball system may be divided into a safety area 100, a game area 200, and a pitching area 300.

The safety area 100 is an area that is distinguished from the game area 200 by a safety net 120 and protected by the safety net 120. A door 125 for coming into or out from the game area 200 is provided in the safety net 120.

A shooting signal device 210, an image unit 220, a sensor 230, and a screen 250 are located in the game area 200.

The shooting signal device 210 is configured to apply a baseball shooting signal to a control unit (not illustrated) by the user, and may have a shape like a pedal. When the user steps on the shooting signal device 210, a baseball is shot.

The image unit 220 receives image information from the control unit, and projects an image onto the screen 250. An example of the projected image is illustrated in FIG. 2.

The sensor 230 senses the location and the speed of the baseball batted by the user.

A screen hole 251 is located at the center of the screen 250. The game is performed by moving the baseball having been shot from a pitching machine 390 toward the user on the game region 200 through the screen hole 251 at a high speed, and batting the baseball by the user.

The pitching area 300 is distinguished from the game area 200 by the screen 250. The pitching machine 390 is located therein to shoot a baseball.

While the screen baseball game is progressed, a baseball may not be shot for various reasons such as failure or jamming of the pitching machine 390, and running out of the baseball even when the user steps on the shooting signal device 210 to apply the baseball shooting signal. In this case, because the user thinks that baseballs are not shot not any more, the user may sometimes move freely in the game area 200. At this time, a baseball is abruptly shot from the pitching machine 390, and thus, a safety accident may occur.

A method for preventing a safety accident in a screen baseball system according to the related art will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.

In a state in which a game start signal is applied to the control unit and the screen baseball game starts (S310), the user steps on the shooting signal device 210 to apply the baseball shooting signal to the control unit (S320). The control unit operates the pitching machine 390 such that the pitching machine 390 shoots a baseball (S330), and senses whether the pitching machine 390 normally shoots a baseball, through a sensor and the like. When shooting of the baseball is not sensed, the image unit 220 projects a warning image onto the screen 250 (S340).

An example of the projected warning image is illustrated in FIG. 4. This image is an image for making a request that, because a baseball may be shot from the pitching machine 390 anytime, the user should be careful. A warning sound and the like may be output from a separate speaker (not illustrated).

In this way, in the related art, because only the warning image for prevention of a safety accident is projected onto the screen 250, when the user still moves in the game area 200 while not recognizing or neglecting the warning image, a safe accident may still occur.

Meanwhile, the conventional art related thereto will be described below.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,413,521 discloses a pitching machine including a shooting prevention screen opened using a pulley only when a baseball is shot. The pitching machine generally shoots a baseball at a speed of 100 km/h or higher, and the pitching machine uses a pulley principle, and thus, a baseball cannot be sufficiently prevented from being shot.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,747,259 discloses a safety steel net that may be accurately coupled to a baseball shooting hole of a pitching machine. This net is configured to protect the pitching machine from a batted baseball, and is not configured to protect a user from a baseball.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,513,512 discloses a screen baseball apparatus including a T-shaped screen hole. Likewise, because a baseball that is wrongly shot due to malfunction of a pitching machine may still move toward a user, a safety accident may not be prevented.

Technical Problem

The present invention is conceived to solve the following problems.

In detail, an aspect of the present invention is to provide a configuration for more effectively preventing a safety accident that may occur in a screen baseball game.

Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a system, which may fundamentally prevent a safety accident by fundamentally preventing a baseball from being shot in a dangerous situation because it is not possible to prevent a user from moving in the dangerous situation only by simply projecting a warning image.

In particular, another aspect of the present invention is to provide a system, which may prevent two or more ways of safety accidents by operating another safety accident preventing system even when any one component is malfunctioned.

Technical Solution

In order to solve the above-described problems, a screen baseball system is provided. The screen baseball system includes a pitching machine 390 that shoots a baseball, a screen 250 that has a screen hole 251 through which a baseball shot from the pitching machine 390 passes, and a screen shutter 350 that is provided between the pitching machine 390 and the screen (250) and includes a safety screen 358 that closes the screen hole 251.

Further, it is preferable that the screen baseball system further includes a shooting signal device 210 that applies a baseball shooting signal to the pitching machine 390 through a control unit, and the screen shutter 350 is operated in conjunction with the baseball shooting signal applied from the shooting signal device 210.

Further, it is preferable that the screen shutter 350 is operated in any one of a closed state and an opened state, the safety screen 358 closes the screen hole 251 in the closed state, and the screen shutter 350 is operated in any one of the closed state and the opened state by the control unit.

Further, it is preferable that when the shooting signal device 210 applies the baseball shooting signal to the control unit, the control unit operates the screen shutter 350 in the opened state, and operates the pitching machine 390 such that the pitching machine 390 shoots a baseball.

Further, it is preferable that the screen shutter 350 is automatically operated in the closed state, when a predetermined period of time elapses after the screen shutter 350 starts to be operated in the opened state.

Further, it is preferable that the control unit detects whether the baseball is shot from the pitching machine 390, and in this case, when the control unit fails to detect shooting of the baseball after applying the baseball shooting signal to the pitching machine 390, the control unit operates the screen shutter 350 in the closed state.

Further, it is preferable that the screen baseball system further includes an image unit 220 that projects an image onto the screen 250, and when the control unit fails to detect shooting of the baseball after applying the baseball shooting signal to the pitching machine 390, the image unit 220 projects a first warning image onto the screen 250.

Further, it is preferable that the control unit detects in which state the screen shutter 350 is operated, and when the control unit fails to detect shooting of the baseball after applying the baseball shooting signal to the pitching machine 390, and detects that the screen shutter 350 is in the opened state, the image unit 220 projects a second warning image onto the screen 250,

Further, it is preferable that the screen shutter 350 includes a frame 351, rotary shafts 352, 353 on which the safety screen 358 is wound and which are located inside the frame 351, a timing belt 357 to which the safety screen 358 is fixed, pulleys 354, 355 that is coaxially coupled to ends of the rotary shafts 352, 353, the timing belt 357 being wound on the pulleys 354, 355, a holding part 359 that fixes the frame 351, and one or more driving parts 356 that drive one or more of the pulleys 354, 355, wherein one or more of the driving parts 356 are operated, and thus, one or more of the pulleys 354, 355 are rotated, so that the safety screen 358 closes the screen hole 251.

Further, the driving parts 356 rotate one or more of the pulleys 354, 355 in a reverse direction by the predetermined angle, so that the screen shutter 350 is operated in the opened state, and is then automatically operated in the closed state when a predetermined period of time elapses.

Advantageous Effects

According to the present invention, a safety accident that may occur during a screen baseball game may be fundamentally prevented. Even when the user does not recognize or neglects a warning image, the safety accident may be prevented.

In detail, in a dangerous situation in which a baseball is not shot for various reasons such as failure or jamming of the pitching machine, and running out of a baseball even when a user steps on a shooting signal device to apply a baseball shooting signal, the baseball can be fundamentally prevented from being shot toward the user, so that the safety accident can be fundamentally prevented. That is, even when the user freely moves in a game area in such a dangerous situation, the safety accident can be prevented.

The prevention of the safety accident is possible by a screen shutter, and a portion of the screen shutter may be malfunctioned. Thus, the screen shutter is operated in a state in which a plurality of driving parts are provided, and thus, a two-way warning image is prepared, so that the safety accident can be complexly prevented.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic view for describing a screen baseball system according to the related art;

FIG. 2 is a picture for describing the screen baseball system according to the related art;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart for describing a method for preventing a safety accident in the screen baseball system according to the related art;

FIG. 4 illustrates a warning image projected to prevent a safety accident in the screen baseball system according to the related art;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view for describing the screen baseball system according to the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view for describing the screen baseball system according to the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view for describing a screen shutter of the screen baseball system according to the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a flowchart for describing a method for preventing a safety accident in the screen baseball system according to the present invention; and

FIG. 9A illustrates a first warning image projected for the method for preventing a safety accident in the screen baseball system according to the present invention, and FIG. 9B illustrates a second warning image.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

Description of Screen Baseball System

A screen baseball system according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6.

The screen baseball system according to the present invention is different from the screen baseball system according to the related art in that the former has a screen shutter 350 provided in a pitching area 300.

In detail, a space of the screen baseball system according to the present invention is also divided into a safety area 100, a game area 200, and a pitching area 300. It is apparent that another area for a control unit (not illustrated) and the like may be further included.

The control unit performs starting, progressing, and terminating of the screen baseball game. A detailed function is as follows:

-   -   A batting result of a user is calculated using the location and         the speed of a baseball, which are sensed by a sensor 230, and         the game is progressed.     -   An image unit 220 is allowed to project a game image, a first         warning image, a second warning image, and the like.     -   A pitching machine 390 is operated by receiving a baseball         shooting signal from a shooting signal device 210 (Here, the         baseball shooting signal may be directly applied to the shooting         signal device 210 or may be applied to the shooting signal         device 210 via the control unit)     -   Whether a baseball is actually shot from the pitching machine         390 is detected (using a camera sensor and the like).     -   The screen shutter 350 is operated in a closed state or an         opened state.     -   Whether the screen shutter 350 is actually operated in a closed         state or an opened state is detected.

Meanwhile, according to the related art, the safety area 100 is an area that is distinguished from the game area 200 by a safety net 120 and is protected by the safety net 120. While a user stands by, a user terminal 110 for progressing a game is located. The user may perform various tasks such as starting and terminating of a game, and identifying of information using the user terminal 110.

When the user wants to enter the game area 200 from the safety area 100, the user should pass through a door 125 provided in the safety net 120. The door 125 should be maintained in a closed state during a game to prevent a safety accident.

The game area 200 is an area in which a game is performed by shooting a baseball and batting the baseball by the user. In this area, the shot baseball and the batted baseball are moved at a high speed, and thus, a safety accident may occur. Accordingly, the user entering this area should wear safety equipment such as a helmet.

The shooting signal device 210, the image unit 220, the sensor 230, the screen 250, and the like are located in the game area 200. A baseball collecting unit 205 having an inclined surface is provided, making it possible to manually or automatically transferring the batted baseball to the pitching area 300.

The shooting signal device 210 is configured to allow the user to apply the baseball shooting signal to the control unit. When the user steps on the shooting signal device 210, and the screen shutter 350, which will be described below, is in the opened state, a baseball is shot to the game area 200.

The image unit 220 receives image information from the control unit, and projects an image onto the screen 250. Further, the first warning image and the second warning image, which will be described below, may be projected onto the screen 250.

The sensor 230 senses the location and the speed of a baseball batted by the user, and provides the sensed location and the sensed speed to the control unit. Any sensors, such as a camera sensor (or a line sensor, a vision sensor, and the like in view of schemes), which may sense the location and the speed of the baseball may be applied. The control unit calculates a batting result using a value sensed by the sensor 230, and transmits the calculated batting result to the image unit 220 again, so that a screen baseball game is generally progressed. This fact corresponds to the related art, and thus, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

A screen hole 251 is located at the center of the screen 250. A baseball shot from the pitching machine 390 passes through the screen shutter 350 and the screen hole 251 and then moves toward the user on the game area 200.

The pitching area 300 is distinguished from the game area 200 by the screen 250.

The screen shutter 350 and the pitching machine 390 are located in the pitching area 300.

The screen shutter 350 is located between the pitching machine 390 and the screen 250 such that a safety screen 358 may close the screen hole 251 in a closed state. The screen shutter 350 will be described below in detail.

The pitching machine 390 shoots a baseball. Any pitching machine that may shoot a baseball may be applied.

Description of Screen Shutter

The screen shutter 350 according to the present invention will be described in detail with further reference to FIGS. 7, 9A, and 9B.

The screen shutter 350 includes a frame 351, a first rotary shaft 352, a second rotary shaft 353, a first pulley 354, a second pulley 355, a driving part 356, a timing belt 357, a safety screen 358, and a holding part 359.

The first rotary shaft 352 and the second rotary shaft 353 are located on opposite sides of the inside of the frame 351 such that the safety screen 358 is wound thereon.

The first pulley 354 and the second pulley 355 are coaxially coupled to ends of the first rotary shaft 352 and the second rotary shaft 353, respectively, and the timing belt 357 is wound on the pulleys 354 and 355.

Accordingly, the timing belt 357 moves through rotation of one or more of the first pulley 354 and the second pulley 355. The safety screen 358 is fixed to the timing belt 357.

The safety screen 358 is configured to close the screen hole 251, and is formed of a material that may safely block a baseball shot at a high speed. The safety screen 358 moves by movement of the timing belt 357, and may be wound on one or more of the first rotary shaft 352 and the second rotary shaft 353.

The holding part 359 firmly fixes the screen shutter 350.

To achieve this, the holding part 359 is located on the rear surface of the screen hole 251, and may be fixed to a separate fixing member fixed to the ground or may be fixed to the frame itself of the pitching machine 390.

The driving parts 356 drive one or more of the first pulley 354 and the second pulley 355. Although FIG. 7 illustrates that the driving parts 356 are located below the first pulley 354 to drive the first pulley 354, the driving parts 356 may be operated while being located below the second pulley 355.

Preferably, a plurality of driving parts 356 may be provided. That is, when any one of the driving parts is malfunctioned, another driving part is operated, so that a safety accident resulting from malfunction of the driving parts may be further prevented.

The screen shutter 350 may be maintained in any one of a closed state and an opened state, and may be automatically or manually operated in a different state by the control unit.

The closed state is a state in which the screen hole 251 is completely closed by the safety screen 358. In this case, even when a baseball is shot from the pitching machine 390, the baseball is blocked by the safety screen 358, and thus, fails to arrive at the game area 200. Through this, a safety accident in the screen baseball system is fundamentally prevented.

The opened state is a state in which the screen hole 251 is not closed by the safety screen 358, and thus, a baseball arrives at the game area 200 through the screen hole 251.

It is preferable that the screen shutter 350 is usually maintained in the closed state. That is, it is preferable that the screen shutter 350 is operated in the opened state even when a baseball is necessarily shot. To achieve this, when the user applies the baseball shooting signal to the control unit through the shooting signal device 210, the screen shutter 350 is operated in the opened state in conjunction with this situation.

Once, after the baseball is shot, the screen shutter 350 should return to the closed state again. That is, when a predetermined period of time elapses after the screen shutter 350 starts to be operated in the opened state, it is preferable that the screen shutter is automatically operated in the closed state.

To achieve this, when one or more of the pulleys 354, 355 operated by the driving parts 356 are rotated by a predetermined angle, the driving parts 356 may be configured to rotate an operated pulley in a reverse direction or in a forward direction by the predetermined angle.

Even when the predetermined period of time does not elapse, if the control unit detects malfunction of the pitching machine 390, the screen shutter 350 should be immediately operated in the closed state. That is, the control unit fails to detect shooting of a baseball after applying the baseball shooting signal to the pitching machine 390, the screen shutter 350 should be immediately operated in the closed state.

The control unit that has detected the malfunction of the pitching machine 390 projects the first warning image through the image unit 220 separately from the operation of the screen shutter 350, thereby further warning the user of the dangerousness of a safety accident. An example of the first warning image is illustrated in FIG. 9A.

Meanwhile, when the pitching machine 390 is malfunctioned and the screen shutter 350 is also malfunctioned, that is, when the control unit applies the baseball shooting signal to the pitching machine 390 and fails to detect shooting of the baseball, and the screen shutter 350 is not operated in the closed state and is still operated in the opened state, the dangerousness of a safety accident is highest.

In this case, the screen shutter 350 is tried to be operated in the closed state yet again by operating a preliminarily provided driving part 356 among the plurality of driving parts 356, an error message is transmitted even to a manager of a screen baseball game center, and meanwhile, a strong warning image should be projected even to the user which is to be located in the game area 200. That is, in this case, the control unit allows the image unit 220 to project the second warning image onto the screen 250, and the second warning image is an image that performs warning at a level higher than that of the above-described first warning image. An example of the second warning image is illustrated in FIG. 9B.

Description of Method for Preventing Safety Accident

A method for preventing a safety accident in a screen baseball system according to the present invention will be described with further reference to FIGS. 8, 9A and 9B.

A game start signal is applied to the control unit, so that a screen baseball game starts (S810). The screen shutter 350 should continuously maintain the closed state (S820).

The user steps on the shooting signal device 210 to apply a baseball shooting signal to the control unit (S830).

The control unit operates the screen shutter 350 in the opened state, and operates the pitching machine 390 such that the pitching machine 390 shoots a baseball (S850).

Next, the control unit detects whether the pitching machine 390 normally shoots a baseball (S860).

When the pitching machine 390 normally shoots a baseball, the control unit applies a separate signal to the screen shutter 350 to operate the screen shutter 350 in the closed state, or when a predetermined period of time elapses, the screen shutter 350 is automatically operated in the closed state (S870).

When the pitching machine 390 fails to normally shoot a baseball, a probability that a safety accident occurs may increase. Thus, even before the predetermined period of time elapses, the control unit operates the screen shutter 350 in the closed state, and projects the first warning image (FIG. 9A) onto the screen 250 through the image unit 220 (S871).

The control unit identifies whether the screen shutter 350 is operated in the closed state (S880). When the screen shutter 350 is normally operated, the screen shutter 350 is maintained in the closed state (S890), and the control unit waits for a next signal by the shooting signal device 210.

When the screen shutter 350 is not normally operated, the dangerousness of a safety accident is high. In step S860, when malfunction of the pitching machine 390 is identified and, at the same time, the screen shutter 350 is malfunctioned, the dangerousness of a safety accident is highest. Even when the screen shutter 350 is then malfunctioned after the pitching machine 390 is normally operated, if a next pitching machine 390 is malfunctioned, the dangerousness of a safety accident identically increases.

In this case, the screen shutter 350 is tried to be operated in the closed state yet again by operating the preliminarily provided driving part 356, an error message is transmitted even to the manager of the screen baseball game center, and meanwhile, the strong second warning image (FIG. 9B) is projected even to the user that is to be located in the game area 200 (S891).

Meanwhile, the scope of the present invention may affect exercises, in which a ball is shot while passing through a screen hole, among other screen sports in addition to a baseball game. For example, the scope of the prevent invention may affect a softball, a cricket, and a tennis to prevent a ball shot from the pitching machine from passing through the screen hole and being shot to the user at a high speed.

Although an exemplary embodiment has been described in the above, it may be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention can be variously modified and changed without departing from the spirit and the scope of the present invention, which are claimed in the claims. Further, a combination of one or more of various embodiments should be also included in the scope of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

-   -   100: Safety area     -   110: User terminal     -   120: Safety net     -   125: Door     -   200: Game area     -   205: Baseball collecting unit     -   210: Shooting signal device     -   220: Image unit     -   230: Sensor     -   250: Screen     -   251: Screen hole     -   300: Pitching area     -   350: Screen shutter     -   351: Frame     -   352: First rotary shaft     -   353: Second rotary shaft     -   354: First pulley     -   355: Second pulley     -   356: Driving part     -   357: Timing belt     -   358: Safety screen     -   359: Holding part     -   390: Pitching machine 

1. A screen baseball system comprising: an image unit; a pitching machine that shoots a baseball; a screen that plays an image projected from the image unit and has a screen hole through which a baseball shot from the pitching machine passes; a shooting signal device that applies a baseball shooting signal to the pitching machine through a control unit; and a screen shutter that is provided between the pitching machine and the screen, comprises a safety screen that closes the screen hole, and is operated in conjunction with the baseball shooting signal applied from the shooting signal device; wherein the image unit projects a first warning image onto the screen when the control unit fails to detect shooting of the baseball after applying the baseball shooting signal to the pitching machine, and projects a second warning image different from the first warning image onto the screen when the control unit detects that the screen shutter is in the opened state.
 2. The screen baseball system according to claim 1, wherein the screen shutter is operated in any one of a closed state and an opened state and the safety screen closes the screen hole in the closed state, wherein the screen shutter is operated in any one of the closed state and the opened state by the control unit.
 3. The screen baseball system according to claim 2, wherein when the shooting signal device applies a baseball shooting signal to the control unit, the control unit operates the screen shutter in the opened state and operates the pitching machine such that the pitching machine shoots a baseball.
 4. The screen baseball system according to claim 3, wherein the screen shutter is automatically operated in the closed state when a predetermined period of time elapses after the screen shutter starts to be operated in the opened state.
 5. The screen baseball system according to claim 3, wherein the control unit detects whether the baseball is shot from the pitching machine, and when the control unit fails to detect shooting of the baseball after applying the baseball shooting signal to the pitching machine, the control unit operates the screen shutter in the closed state.
 6. The screen baseball system according to claim 1, wherein the screen shutter comprises: a frame; rotary shafts on which the safety screen is wound and which are located inside the frame; a timing belt to which the safety screen is fixed; pulleys that are coaxially coupled to an end of the rotary shafts and on which the timing belt is wound; a holding part that fixes the frame; and one or more driving parts that drive one or more of the pulleys, wherein one or more of the driving parts are operated, thereby rotating one or more of the pulleys, so that the safety screen closes the screen hole.
 7. The screen baseball system according to claim 6, wherein when one or more of the pulleys are rotated by a predetermined angle, the driving parts rotate one or more of the pulleys in a reverse direction by the predetermined angle.
 8. The screen baseball system according to claim 7, wherein the driving parts rotate one or more of the pulleys in the reverse direction by the predetermined angle, so that the screen shutter is automatically operated in the closed state when a predetermined period of time elapses after the screen shutter starts to be operated in the opened state. 